


Bend And Break

by AsagiStilinski



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, BAMF Stiles, Crossover, M/M, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Pro-Bending, Sports, Sterek Bingo 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 15:46:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10994025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: With one match away from the Pro-bending tournament, the Polar Bear Dogs find themselves with an injured Firebender who can't compete in the coming weeks, leaving Stiles and his teammates in a desperate search for a replacement and with life changing odds at stakeThat's when Stiles meets Derek





	Bend And Break

**Author's Note:**

> So this was originally going to be a Yuri On Ice!!! crossover but I think I'll leave that for Sterek Week, I've been on an LOK kick lately so have this instead <3 I had a total of like... seven teams planned down to the names and individual elements but I was worried it would get redundant so I only did a few

_"This season has certainly been a shocker folks! I think I speak for everyone when I say that there hasn't been a pro-bending season this exciting since the Avatar participated nearly ten years ago! Ofcourse that's to be expected as for the first time in history Airbenders are taking part in the fun, and now it all comes down to this, with only one round left, we'll finally know who will advance to the final match before the tournament- The Cedar Hills Elephant Koi, or the Jade Dragon Polar Bear Dogs! The match is currently at even odds with each team having scored one round, meaning that the winner of this round wins the match!"_

The announcer was right, it all came down to this

One match

Years of hard work all down to three minutes- it felt kind of ironic actually

If they could win this match, then there would only be one left until the tournament

Ofcourse, the tournament was probably the hardest part, but atleast then they'd be in the running

"You ok?"

He glanced beside him, giving a quick nod to his teammate and tightening his fists

_"On the ready!"_

The second the bell rang everything was a blur of elements and movement and he was lost in the dance

_"Barely three seconds into the game the Polar Bear Dogs already have an advantage as Stiles lands an air-strike that pushes the Elephant Koi's Firebender back a territory! But don't count the Elephant Koi out just yet! It's an earth-on-earth showdown with Sabrina easily gaining footing over Scott and pushing him to the edge of the arena!"_

Stiles cursed under his breath and immediately aimed a strike to the Earth Bender's side, gritting his teeth when the other team's Water Bender came to block it and aim a water attack back at him

He dodged without much trouble, sweeping a strike of his own back at her and ducking suddenly when his own team's Water Bender launched an attack over his head and successfully hit the Elephant Kois' Earth Bender right in the back, sending her tumbling back two zones

_"What an incredible attack from the Polar Bear Dogs!!! The Water Bending prodigy has just nocked Sabrina back **two zones** in ONE go!!"_

The sound of the buzzer had Stiles grinning, knowing that Kira must have taken care of the other two players and hurrying to advance into the next zone, immediately aiming an airball at the Elephant Koi's Waterbender and nocking her off the back of the arena

_"Outstanding!! Has anyone ever seen a more aggressive airbender!? Stiles is certainly no Air Nomad, his gameplay this entire season has been fast and hard and now in a single swish he's completely nocked Yura out of the ring!"_

He wasn't done yet either, he immediately turned his attention towards the other team's firebender and grinned, preparing another attack when he saw a stream of fire coming right past him

Kira's attacks were always so beautifull and flawless that they ended up distracting him and before he knew it he had an air attack hitting his gut, nocking him back over the line and forcing a curse out of his throat as he glared at the airbender on the other team

_"That's two out from the Elephant Koi as the Polar Bear Dogs' Kira literally nocks Zai off his feet! The Polar Bear Dogs now have a two-to-one advantage over the Elephant Koi, can they make a comeback!?"_

"Not on my watch," Stiles smirked back, dodging an attack from the other team's firebender as Scott came towards him and launched an earth disc her way

_"The earth attack from the Polar Bear Dogs has hit, but Yura isn't going anywhere yet! Yura is known for her stamina and stability and it'll take alot more from Scott to send her into the ravine!"_

When Stiles looked back up he felt his heart leap, an airball was heading right towards Scott's head and it took him jumping up and nocking Scott off of his feet to block it

_"What a move! I sure hope Stiles didn't just ruin the game for his teammate, it looks like the Earthbender landed right on his tailbone!"_

"You ok!?" Stiles shouted urgently over the noise, reaching down to help his freind up

"Yeah, thanks," Scott huffed, taking his hand as Stiles put an arm up to block against another strike, skidding back and letting out another curse as his foot went over the line and he and Scott were forced to retreat back a zone

He looked up, steadying himself and starting to form another attack- only to find that Yura was nowhere to be seen

It took a second of looking around before realizing that the other team's Airbender had moved to guard the Earthbender's back and was now taking on Lydia

Stiles started running towards her, hoping to provide some support from the back, when an ear-peircing scream echoed through the arena

_"What a shocker!! It looks like the Firebending beauty from the Polar Bear Dogs has just been hit in the arm with an earth disc! And judging by that scream it doesn't sound like the damage was minor! Can Kira recover!?"_

Scott was at Kira's side in a flash, holding up earth discs to sheild her as the Elephant Kois' Earthbender continued to launch attacks towards them

Stiles realized he'd have to leave Lydia to her own devices, drawing a ball of air and launching it as hard as he could into the Earthbender's side

It seemed to work, ending the stream of attacks as Scott hurried to launch a couple of discs at his gut, sending the Earthbender into the ravine just as Lydia finally gained the advantage over her own opponent and blasted her over the edge as well

The winning gong sounded and Stiles felt a breif burst of excitement at the next words from the referee

_**"The Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs win the match and advance to the next round!"** _

His excitement was short-lived, however, when he remembered that Kira was still injured, tuning out the announcer's comments and racing towards her

"Are you ok!?"

"What happened!?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kira huffed in a rush, allowing Scott to help her up and wrap his arms around her as he guided her towards the platform and off of the feild

"You can heal her, right?" Stiles asked immediately, turning his attention to Lydia

"I can, but I don't know if it'll be enough to let her play again anytime soon,"

"What do you mean?"

Lydia paused, an anxious, stern look on her face

"I heard a crack Stiles, a _bone_ crack,"

 

~+~

 

The second the door opened, Stiles and Scott were both on their feet

"Well!?"

"How is she!?"

"She'll be fine, but her arm is broken," Lydia explained

"How long will it take to heal?" Scott asked worriedly

"Six weeks,"

"Six weeks!? We don't have six weeks! We have a match next week and the Tournament the week after that!" Stiles protested

"I know that,"

"We can't participate without a Firebender!"

"I know that too," Lydia huffed

"And you won't have to,"

Attention turned back to the door, Scott's face lighting up as he caught sight of his girlfreind

"Kira!!" he shouted, running closer and giving her a tight hug

Kira winced, gently pushing him back a bit to protect her arm and adjusting it in the sling

"I'm glad you're ok," Stiles said quietly, taking a step closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a half-hug

"Thanks,"

"What did you mean that we won't have to participate without you?"

"I didn't say that- I said you wouldn't have to participate without a _Firebender_ \- not that you _could_ anyway but.... I want you to find a replacement for me,"

"What!? No!" Scott protested quickly, a look of despair on his face

"Kira we can't do that!"

"You have to,"

"No!! We entered the League together and we're going to STAY together,"

"Scott we don't have a choice," Stiles argued

"I love Kira too, she's the best Firebnder ever but ... but we can't get THIS close to the championship and just quit,"

"He's right," Lydia added

"Besides.... we need that prize money, you know that," Kira insisted quietly

To say that Scott seemed reluctant was putting it mildly, but eventually his shoulders sagged, face pinching in frustration

"Alright..... ok, but how are we going to find a replacement in time?"

Lydia snorted, rolling her eyes

"Are you kidding? This city is _crawling_ with Firebenders, I could toss a coin out the window and _hit_ a Firebender,"

"Ohhhh that sounds like fun, let's do it like that!" Stiles grinned

No one seemed amused

"We'll find someone," Kira insisted

"I'm sure of it,"

 

~+~

 

Unfortunately, finding a Firebender who could participate wasn't as easy as Lydia made it sound

Since any given player could only compete on one team per season, all of the Firebenders who had been nocked out of the games already were ineligible

Alot of Firebenders were in some sort of police or military force and thus couldn't participate either- not because of tournament rules, but because of not having the time

And what Firebenders they met who qualified either didn't want to participate or were too inexperienced to participate

Stiles was starting to run thin on patience, anxiety building up more and more as time passed

Sure they still had five days to find someone, technically, but they'd need more time than that to train with their new member and get a feel for their bending abilities, they were cutting it close to the wire with that as it was, he couldn't imagine having even LESS time...

"I don't know what we're gonna do Dad, what if we can't find someone in time?"

"I'm sure you'll figure out something Son,"

Stiles groaned and grumbled as his father poured a refill of tea into Stiles' cup, staring down sympathetically at his son and clearing his throat, leaning in a little closer

"Stiles... do you see that man over there in the corner?"

The Airbender slowly looked up, eyebrows raising as he turned his attention towards the table in the back, spotting a dark-haired man sipping tea and reading a book

"Is he bothering you?" Stiles frowned, already starting to move away from his chair

"Wah- no no, look, he comes in here every day, stays for an hour, and his tea never gets cold,"

"Oh yeah? Good for him," Stiles replied dryly

His father heaved a sigh, slowly shaking his head

"No, listen to me, _his tea never gets cold_ ,"

Stiles was quiet for a full minute before he finally caught on to what his father was saying

" _Oooooohhhhhh_..... I'm gonna talk to him,"

"Wait a second Son, that man is my best customer, I'm telling you right here and now- don't you DARE scare him off,"

"Wah-?! I am OFFENDED that you think I would _scare_ the guy just from talking to him!"

"Stiles, it's _you_ ,"

"Still offended!" Stiles insisted with an annoyed huff, shaking away from his father's grip and sliding easily over to the man's table, slipping into the chair across from him and trying his hardest to be charming

"Hi there,"

The man- who was freaking _gorgeous_ , with jet black hair, a full beard, muscles for days, and soft green eyes flecked with bits of gold and copper- looked up from his book, utterly unimpressed

"Hi," he answered shortly, turning back to his reading

"Soooo I see you're a Firebender,"

That got his attention, causing the other man to pause and frown over the edge of his teacup

"I'm not-"

"Dude, you've been drinking that _steaming hot tea_ for HOW long now?"

If possible, the Firebender's eyes just turned harder

"So?"

"SO you're a Firebender, and I just so happen to need a Firebender, would you by chance be interested in Pro-bending?"

**_"Absolutely not,"_ **

"What!? But why!?"

"I don't use my bending, especially not for sport,"

"You just heated your tea with it,"

"That isn't the same thing,"

"But-"

"I SAID- NO," he said sternly, slapping some money on the table and hurrying out of the shop

Stiles chased after him quickly, before he could catch the disapproving look on his father's face, and hurried down the street

The Firebender weaved in and out of crowds with ease and even with his light-feet it was tough for Stiles to keep up

Stiles tried his hardest to keep close with him, but soon found himself lost in the crowd and had to use his bending to really get any advantage

He bent the air beneath him and jumped onto one of the awnings above him, hurrying across awnings and rooftops and tent-tops after him and finally landing easily on his feet when the Firebender came to an abrupt stop

At first Stiles wasn't sure why he stopped, until he saw some guy in a mask taking off across the street and caught the sound of a woman shouting for the police just ahead of them

He watched in awe as the Firebender launched a flame forward, cutting off the masked robber's exit

Stiles took the opportunity to shoot a gust of air across the ground, nocking the robber off of his feet and allowing plenty of time for the nearby police to get there and apprehend him

"So you DO use your bending," Stiles smirked as he hopped towards the Firebender

"Not for sport, and not for you, now LEAVE. ME. **ALONE** ," he insisted

"But look at how well we work together!"

"NO!"

Stiles jumped in front of him, noting the anger in the stranger's eyes but refusing to let it affect him as he pressed his hands against the guy's shoulders

"Look! Our Firebender got injured a few days ago ok? We NEED to win that prize money from the championship and we need a replacement to do it!"

"Not my problem,"

"It will be when your favorite tea shop closes!"

That caused the guy to pause, an eyebrow slowly quirking upwards as he stared down at Stiles, giving him the silent go-ahead to continue

"Look, my dad owns the Jade Dragon ok? Last year when that hurricane swept through here it took ALL of my dad's money to repair the shop... and _more_ , he has to pay back the loan he took out in three months or they'll take the tea shop and it'll be closed down and used as another cabbage shop, the tournament pays 640,000 yuans, my dad needs a hundred thousand to pay back the loan, it's already taking everything we have to come up with the forty-thousand tournament entrance fee to participate, PLEASE!!"

Stiles hated begging- he despised it, but it was all he had left

"If I put up sixty thousand yuans and you use the forty thousand you were going to spend on the tournament that would be enough to take care of your father's debt right? THEN would you leave me alone?"

Was this guy serious?

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart-attack," the Firebender insisted dryly

Stiles deflated, looking kind of... devastated....

He wanted so bad to decline the offer

He wanted so badly to participate in the tournament but...

But his dad was far more important and he knew that

"Ok," he finally croaked, hanging his head and swallowing down the tears in his eyes

"Ok.... it's a deal, thank you for this... really,"

The Firebender gave a sharp nod and grabbed his wallet from his pocket

"Hell.... and I was really looking forward to taking down those Sea Vultures too..."

The Firebender paused, going stark pale

"Did you say.... Sea Vultures?"

"Yeah, one of the teams that already earned their place in the tournament, I hate their guts and want to see them lose but now-"

"I'll fight with you," the Firebender said suddenly

Stiles blinked, confusion sinking in

"Wait what?"

"I said I'll fight with you, I'll pay the tournament fee so don't worry about that, tell me what to do next,"

Stiles had no idea what the hell had caused him to change his mind, but he was thanking the spirits for it

"Now we go to meet the rest of my team, I'm Stiles, by the way," he replied, holding his hand out for the Firebender

"Derek," he said, giving Stiles' hand a shake

And just like that, the deal was sealed

 

~+~

 

"So you don't have ANY pro-bending experience?"

"Not a lick,"

Lydia stared at Stiles as if he had just brought her a three legged horse to race

"But he's a FAN of pro-bending, he knows all the rules and stuff," Stiles argued

Derek looked up and gave a slight nod, but Lydia still didn't seem too impressed

"I like him," Kira said with a positive smile

"Well, that was the goal, since Kira is the one he's replacing," Stiles pointed out

Lydia still seemed reluctant, but eventually gave a slight nod

"I'm not sure," Scott frowned

"I could spar with you, prove my worth," Derek suggested with a raised eyebrow

Scott and Stiles exchanged a look before Stiles shrugged, silently encouraging Scott to give it a try

"Ok," he finally said, walking towards the back of the gym to get some earth discs to use

"So can I ask you something?" Stiles asked suddenly, nudging Derek's shoulder with his foot

Derek looked up at the bench Stiless was sitting on, frowning but not seeming especially annoyed

"How come you were so against working with us at first and then all of a sudden you were all for it?"

"I want to take out the Sea Vultures as much as you do,"

"Really? Why? What did the Sea Vultures do to you? I mean I know what they did to us but what did they do to you?" Stiles asked curiously

"It isn't really the team I have a problem with, it's the sponsor,"

"The sponsor? You mean the Argents?"

Derek looked down, a grim expression on his face

"What did the Arge-OW!"

Stiles glared up at Lydia, frustrated that she had just hauled off and pinched him for no apparent reason- that is, until he saw Scott coming their way

Right....

He was still sensitive about that....

"We never properly introduced ourselves," Lydia said suddenly, holding her hand out towards Derek

"I'm Lydia, Northern Water Tribe,"

Derek gave her hand a polite shake, glancing over at Kira as she did the same

"Kira, Fire Nation,"

"Well you already know me, but Scott and I are both from Republic City- born and raised," Stiles interjected

Derek let go of Kira's hand, rising to his feet now that Scott had transported the earth discs

"Fire Nation," he replied simply

Stiles watched silently as he moved towards Scott, the two of them bowing politely to eachother- Derek's idea apparently- before the match began

"There's something about him.... isn't there?" Lydia asked slowly

"You noticed it too?" Stiles replied

She just gave a nod, eyes narrowing as she watched the Earthbender and Firebender spar

"I did, I just can't put my finger on what it is,"

"Neither can I,"

They didn't have much time to speculate though- Derek had Scott on the ground in less than a minute

The Firebender turned around, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrows

"Am I in?"

 

~+~

 

"Ok, we've got this, we can do it, we're gonna be fine," Stiles chanted with an anxious sigh, wringing his hands and glancing up as Derek stepped out of the changing room, now fully clothed in the team's purple, blue, and black uniform

"You guys are going to do great!!!" Kira cheered with a bright smile, fist-pumping the air with her good arm

"Thanks," Stiles said anxiously, attention turning back to Derek as he strapped his helmet on

"You doing alright there Big Guy?"

"Fine," Derek replied quickly

"This shouldn't be too hard," Lydia said suddenly as she stepped into the room, leaning against the wall as Scott followed behind her

"The Jackalopes are pretty inexperienced, I'm surprised they got through to now,"

"Inexperienced front-runners means they're talented, if we can get an advantage we'll be fine but we have to watch out for raw skill early on, our best chance is to wear them down in the beginning and take them all out at once in the end," Derek said suddenly

Everyone went silent, staring at him with gaping open mouths

"....What?" Derek asked in confusion

"Dude.... I thought you'd never played before,"

"I haven't,"

"Then-?"

"It's almost time, we should go," he replied briskly, stepping past Scott as he stepped out of the changing room

The rest of the team exchanged slightly alarmed looks, but followed out afterwards, Kira's encouraging cheers chasing behind them

 

~+~

 

_"The night is finally here folks! The last match before the tournament has arrived, and with two rookie teams at that! As I'm sure you'll remember, last week the Polar Bear Dogs took a devastating hit when their Firebender Kira was seriously injured and nocked out of the tournament, can her replacement come through well enough for them to score a victory against the Jackalopes? Or will Kira's downfall spell the end for the Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs?"_

Stiles inhaled deeply, taking an instinctive step towards the edge of the platform as they were announced

_"Introducing our first team! The Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs, and their opponents, the Crystal Gardens' Jackalopes!"_

The platforms landed, each team taking their places and taking what felt like a collective inhale before the starting gong rung and an explosion of elements hit the air

_"What a way to kick off the night! It certainly seems that the Polar Bear Dogs aren't as handicapped as we may have feared with their new teammate! According to my pappers, he's a completely fresh face to the pro-bending world, having never participated in a match until today- and get this! He's a **librarian**! Who knew hitting the books would lead up to hitting the ground running with pro-bending am I right?"_

Stiles had been surprised by the fact that Derek was a librarian too, though not as surprised as some

Their team was made up of alot of odds and ends- Kira was a waitress at the Jade Dragon, Stiles brewed tea there, Lydia was a scholar who dabbled in healing and Scott was an assistant veterinarian, so he supposed that a librarian being added to their ranks actually fit pretty well

_"What an amazing display!! Derek, the Polar Bear Dogs' newest teammate, has just blasted the Jackalopes' Airbender Lori all the way into the ravine in ONE. BLOW!! And he's not the only member of this team with the tournament burning in his eyes either, Stiles is displaying his usual quick-temper by launching an attack on the Jackalopes' Waterbender Noah, it isn't a nock-out but he HAS sent Noah flying back into Zone Three! These Polar Bear Dogs are on FIRE tonight and it's obvious that they aren't prepared to let the tournament slip through their fingers!"_

Derek was practically a master at holding off attacks, and he had been right earlier too- wearing out the Jackalopes was their best play

With only the Firebender and Earthbender left on the other team, they were getting more and more exhausted trying to ward off the attacks from all four members of the Polar Bear Dogs

_"Things are looking grim for the Jackalopes as Sean and Heather try desperately to keep this team afloat! It looks like the Polar Bear Dogs have teamed up into pairs to take them down, with Stiles and Derek focusing on Earthbender Heather and Lydia and Scott concentrating on Firebender Sean- OHH! And Sean has been nocked back into Zone Three after his flames were extinguished by the Waterbending prodigy on the Polar Bear Dogs' side- and look at that! A disc to the gut and Sean is OUTTA THERE! Can Heather hold off for another forty-five seconds until the next round to keep her team in the game!?"_

The magnificent thing about air and fire were that they complimented eachother, and when Derek sent a blast of fire towards Heather, Stiles only had to fan the flames a little with a quick gust of wind, nocking her easily out of the arena

_"AMAZING!!! The first match of the night has ended with a nock-out folks, and the Polar Bear Dogs have cemented their place in the tournament with thirty seconds to spare!! I don't know what their plan will be next season when Kira is all healed up but I'd say they should stick with the new guy!"_

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say

 

~+~

 

"No one is saying this is going to be more than a one-time thing," Lydia hissed in frustration

Wile they should have been celebrating, the moment they stepped off the arena floor, Derek and Scott had practically been at eachother's throats

"I don't care if we win or lose with Derek, Kira is our teammate and she's who we're keeping next year!" Scott nearly shouted

"I never said she wasn't! I didn't want to be here in the first place, my only goal is to win against the Sea Vultures and after that I'm DONE, this is the only year I'm participating so just DROP it already!" Derek shouted back

Stiles' head was hung, frustration boiling in his veins as he opened the door to the changing room and met the confused look on Kira's face

"What's going on? I thought we should be celebrating," she pouted worriedly

"We should be- and we WILL be, there's just too much testosterone in the ring," Lydia replied briskly, nocking both Scott and Derek on the backs of their heads and glaring at them

"We're going out to dinner in celebration- so both of you need to shut the hell up,"

Derek and Scott deflated, apparently neither of them wanting to tangle with Lydia as she turned to glare at Stiles

"The next time we need a replacement, **choose. _a GIRL!_** ,"

Stiles hoped there wouldn't _be_ a next time

But he stayed quiet, not wanting to set Lydia off any more than the other boys did

 

~+~

 

"So why the Polar Bear Dogs?"

Stiles put his chopsticks down, looking over at Derek and grinning

"Because Avatar Korra has a pet Polar Bear Dog, if it wasn't for her the team wouldn't exist so we thought it'd be great to do some kind of homage to her,"

"It wouldn't exist... because you wouldn't be an Airbender?" Derek guessed

"Well yeah, that, but ... also because Avatar Korra made it possible for Airbenders to be in pro-bending, besides the fact that she brought the spirits back, she also made it possible for there to be Airbenders outside of the Air Nomads, I was a kid when I got my bending, I didn't want to go train under Tenzin because I was afraid of leaving my dad, and my dad thought I was too young anyway so he didn't push the issue, a few years later when I was about fourteen Avatar Korra saw me Airbending in the shop, she was impressed that I was so skilled and also self-taught and.... she didn't tell Tenzin about me, she said it should be my decision where I train and where my loyalties lie, where my religions are and my lifestyle... she didn't think that my suddenly becoming an Airbender should automatically make me an Air Nomad, it was her encouragement that kept me going despite the way people acted about it, and it was Korra who helped petition to get Airbending allowed into Pro-bending, and boy did she have an issue with Tenzin over _THAT_ one, or so I hear anyway,"

"I take it Tenzin didn't support it?"

"HELL no! And when he found out about ME he was kind of livid,"

"Because you didn't train under him or because you wanted to go into pro-bending?"

"Both.... and a little more, did you hear the announcer earlier? I'm known in the arena for my aggression, wich is kind of the exact opposite that the pacifist Airbending philosophy usually teaches, he thinks I'm a stain on the Airbender name," Stiles shrugged back, slurping up some of his noodles

"I still think you're exaggerating a little Stiles... I mean have you ever even TALKED to Tenzin about it?" Kira asked softly

"I have once or twice, in public, we had arguments, it was before the team formed and what inspired me to keep pushing for it, I want to prove to him and to everybody else that Airbenders don't have to be Air Nomads, it's a new era, we can be every bit as aggressive and tough and strong as anyone else, air doesn't have to be a passive element anymore, it can be just as strong as fire,"

"So that's why you looked so devastated when I offered you the money," Derek mused quietly

That caused something of a quiet to fall over the table as Scott slowly swallowed his food

"What money?"

"Nothing," Derek and Stiles replied in unison

 

~+~

 

Ever since that night the team found themselves legitimately bonding, and the closer they grew, the better their team worked together

They worked together so well, in fact, that they got nock-outs in their first two tournament rounds, advancing them easily to the semi-final rounds

"I can't believe this, we're here, we're actually here!! Just one away from the finals!"

"Calm down Stiles, if you get worked up now you might make an amateur mistake in the game," Derek reminded him, securing his gloves a little bit better as they walked out towards the platform

"Yeah.... yeah you're right, I can't do that, gotta stay sharp," Stiles agreed with a tight nod, taking in a deep breath and clenching his fists

_"Introducing The Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs, and their opponents, the Red River Eagle Hawks!"_

Stiles was excited to go against the Eagle Hawks actually, they were close freinds with the other team, even though they hadn't seen eachother much recently

But that was for the better, they both needed to concentrate on the tournament and had decided it'd probably be better to take a break from eachother until the championship was over, especially with the fact that Scott was still not totally sure how to handle the fact that he and the Eagle Hawks' Firebender used to be a couple and... well, now they weren't

Unfortunately, his excitement wasn't felt by everyone on the team, and when he looked over at Derek's face, all he saw was horror and fear

"Derek?" he asked quietly

"I thought the Argent clan sponsored the Sea Vultures,"

"They do..."

"Then why is there an Argent on that team?" he snarled

"What? That's Allison, she disowned her family a couple of years ago and part of getting back at them is bending on another team.... are you ok?"

The gong went off, not giving Derek the chance to answer

He didn't have to though, Stiles could tell something wasn't right

His movements were sluggish and shakey all of a sudden, timid in a way, not at all the usual quick and heavy hits he usually gave

_"The night is off to a rocky start for the Polar Bear Dogs- and now is the worst time to have a bad night! I don't know what happened to the fire in their Firebender, but he seems to be all burned out!"_

Stiles cursed under his breath as he watched Derek fumble through defensive moves, finally deciding to abandon his own match with the other team's Waterbender so he could jump in front of Derek, hurrying to bend a gust of wind to nock back the earth disc coming his way

"What's your problem man!?"

_"Without their Firebender pulling his weight, the Polar Bear Dogs are not doing so hot, and it looks like this might be the end for the rookies this year! With Stiles being the only thing between Derek and a sure blast into the ravine, and Lydia and Scott already pushed back into Zone Two, things are looking grim for the Dogs!"_

There was a yelp across the feild, causing Stiless to turn his attention away just long enough for the Eagle Hawks to get an edge and blast he and Derek straight into the water

''What the absolute hell!?" Stiles shouted in anger as he started to swim towards the lift

"I'm sorry," Derek said quietly as he paddled after the Airbender

Stiles was _fuming_

Derek had been just as ready as ever a few minutes ago, then he took one look at the team and clammed up!!

Stiles could only breathe a sigh of releif when the round timed out, the win going to the Eagle Hawks

But that was ok- they had two rounds to go

He spent the time getting back to the arena lost in thought, wondering what had spooked Derek so badly

He had been fine until he caught a look at the team, then he had asked about Allison and- ....

Allison.....

Derek only joined them in the first place because he wanted to nock the Sea Vultures out of the game, and he had said that his problem wasn't with the team but with the sponsors.....

And when they got back to the arena, Stiles could flat out see it

The way Derek acted, trying to keep as far away from Allison as possible....

Something happened with the Argents- something _bad_

And Stiles may not know what it was, but he wasn't going to let his team suffer for it

The second the gong sounded for the second round Stiles immediately concentrated his efforts on Allison, and given that no one has been expecting that he was able to nock her out of the thing with an easy few strikes

And as he had hoped, when he looked over his shoulder again, there was Derek, looking suddenly reborn, as if he had just woken up by some sort of long sleep

 

~+~

 

"So, do you want to tell me what the hell happened?"

Derek hadn't stuck around for the celebration of winning the semi-finals, and judging by the look on his face, Stiles was willing to guess it was out of embarrassment more than anything

Stiles had said he'd join the others later, following Derek out to the outskirts of the city where he was currently sitting on the edge of the bay, staring listlessly out at the water

"I mean, I know it has something to do with the Argents, I'm just not sure what that something is," Stiles added a beat later as he moved to sit next to the Firebender

"I'm sorry," Derek said quietly, curling his fingers a little tighter against his sleeves- wich.... wasn't the response Stiles had been aiming or hoping for...

"No no, I'm asking what it is, the Argents did something to you, obviously, I'm not blaming you for it and you don't need to apologize, I'm just asking you what it is,"

"Kate Argent... burned my family alive,"

Of all the things Stiles may have expected him to say....

That sure as HELL hadn't been one of them

"What....?"

"A few years ago when I was a teenager... the Argents have always been believers in what Ozai taught, Firebender supremacy, I hadn't known that and... stupidly mentioned to her one night that my ancestors were supporters of the resistance back in the day, apparently that set her off because the next thing I knew everything and everyone I loved was going up in flames and I- ... I tried so _hard_ to save them but... I wasn't good enough... my bending wasn't enough..."

So that was why Derek had renounced his bending....

"What happened to Kate?" Stiles asked quietly

"She was caught and sent to prison, luckily, but ... before she did she started sponsoring the Sea Vultures, they're the last thing she really has to anchor her to the world outside of the prison, and ofcourse her family benefits from their wins, I've always suspected her sister-in-law and father were in on the attack on my family too, I know for sure that they're Ozai loyalists, but... I've never been able to prove it,"

"So that's why you want to go against the Sea Vultures, to snub your nose at the Argents?" Stiles asked with a slight smirk

He had to admit, they were sort of on the same page there...

"Basically," he replied softly, looking down and chewing on his lip

"I know it sounds ridiculous now..."

"No no, it... it really doesn't," he replied with a slight grin

"I mean, my own reasons for wanting the Sea Vultures defeated aren't that different, Theo, the leader, is actually the loan shark that's holding my dad's tea shop hostage so..."

"About that," Derek said suddenly, turning to look at Stiles and taking a breath

"I was going to wait until after the tournament to tell you but I want you to go into the finals without any more stress than necessary so.... if the worst happens and we lose-"

"We won't lose,"

"But if we DO, I don't want you to worry about your dad's tea shop, ok? I'm going to cover the loan,"

Things went quiet for a moment, Stiles staring at the other bender in shock

"Derek-"

"I've made up my mind, I had it made up when I first offered you the money, I like that tea shop Stiles, it's one of the few things left in my life that I enjoy, so I'm not letting it go under,"

"You're going to spend a hundred thousand yuans....... for tea?"

"I like it," Derek shrugged back

Somehow, Stiles had a feeling he wasn't just paying it for the tea

"Keep your money Derek, we're going to win," Stiles replied confidently

Derek's lips ticked upwards in a smile and he leaned closer, gently squeezing Stiles' hand

"Yeah.... yeah we are,"

 

~+~

 

_"The day is finally here folks! This year's Pro-bending tournament finals have arrived!!! But before we introduce this year's contestants, let's go over the rules for our newest contestants- the Airbenders, for anyone who's joining us for the first time this season! Airbenders may only bend the colored air coming from the vents in the arena, shaded **blue** or **red** depending on the team, Airbenders are also restricted to using only attack and defense moves, meaning things such as air scooters and gliding are strictly prohibited! Like with Water and Fire, Airbending strikes cannot exceed one second of continuous stream and Airbenders must not use any bending to enhance their physical abilities such as jumps or speed, with all of that being said, let's get to the match!"_

Stiles reached out, giving Derek's hand a tight squeeze as they stared at eachother before looking towards Lydia and Scott, who were smiling just as excitedly

_"Introducing the rookies of the year! The Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs!"_

Stiles had never seen a crowd this huge!!

Even the semi-finals hadn't had this many people present, it was almost intimidating... but he just squeezed Derek's hand again, looked up at the VIP box where his father was sitting, waving proudly, and it stopped mattering how many people were there at all

_"And their opponent! The Argent Inc Sea Vultures!"_

Watching the Sea Vultures come onto the feild as Stiles' starstruck excitement turning into raging determination

They were going to win this, they were going to nock those vultures right out of the sky!

_"It's officially time for the match of the year to begin!"_

The gong rang and Stiles could barely take a breath before an air strike was punched right into his face, sending him tumbling towards the floor

He managed to sweep some air underneath him, pushing himself back up as he swept a kick forward and nocked the opposite team's Airbender off of his feet

"Stiles!"

He knew that sound, backflipping out of the way as Lydia blasted the Airbender with a water strike, but he didn't go down, instead he lifted onto one hand and gave an air strike with his legs, nocking Lydia back against the ropes as the Sea Vultures' Waterbender blasted her and sent her stumbling backwards

She almost hit the line too, until Scott grabbed her arm and forced her forward, steadying her as Derek jumped in front of the two of them and launched a fire attack at the Waterbender who had just aimed another attack at them

As great as that was, the three of them all teamed up at once left Stiles vulnerable and he was taking strike after strike, barely able to keep himself afloat as an earth disc struck him in the leg, nocking him off balance as an air attack nocked him back into the second zone

He cursed, pushing himself upwards as his teammates hurried to crowd in front of him

"Spread out!! Spread out!" he shouted, swallowing tightly as Scott yelped, the Waterbender nocking him back into the third zone

Now it was only Derek and Lydia protecting their first zone...

The two of them fought valiantly and Stiles did everything he could to help them, sending a gust of air behind Lydia's water strike and successfully managing to nock the Sea Vultures' Earthbender into the ravine

_"It's all out war folks!! I've never seen two teams battling it out at this level before! Each time the Polar Bear Dogs are struck they just strike back harder, and everytime the Sea Vultures falter they come back flying! I can honestly say I have no idea who the favorite will be to win this match!"_

Stiles felt a bead of sweat trickle down his brow, carefully dodging a fire strike but at the cost of being nocked back a zone

And with he and Scott both in the third zone now, it was a peice of cake for the Sea Vultures' Airbender to nock them into the ravine

Stiles screamed when he came up for air, slapping the water with frustration

"I am going to KILL Theo!" he seethed

"Relax, we still have Lydia and Derek holding up the fort, we can sti-"

_"And the Polar Bear Dogs' Firebender is IN the water!"_

A splash followed and Stiles sighed heavily as he watched Derek bob up to the surface

"Well, we still have LYDIA holding up the fort, we can still do this!"

_"I've never seen anything like it folks! They really weren't kidding when they called the Polar Bear Dogs' Waterbender a prodigy, she's single-handedly keeping her team in the game!!"_

Half-way to the lift, the gong sounded, signaling the end of the first round

_"Round one goes to the Argent Inc Sea Vultures!"_

"Don't worry," Derek said assuringly, squeezing Stiles' shoulder

"We'll get the next round,"

Stiles hoped he was right- he really, really did...

 

~+~

 

The second round had begun, so far things were pretty equally matched, but they had an advantage this time- the Waterbender from the other team had worn herself out in the first round and Derek was easily able to nock her into the ravine in the first few seconds of the match

Now Scott and Derek were concentrating their efforts collectively on the Sea Vultures' Airbender, Lydia had the Firebender, and Stiles?

Stiles was already chasing the Earthbender into the third zone

_"What a comeback!! With the Sea Vultures' Waterbender already in the water and their Earthbender teetering dangerously on the edge, it looks like the Polar Bear Dogs have found a second wind!"_

Stiles smirked, eyes dangerous as he gave a blast of air and the Earthbender went flying out of the ring

_"And he does it! The Earthbender Donovan from the Sea Vultures is officially out of this round! Can the Sea Vultures keep themselves afloat with only air and fire left, or will the Polar Bear Dogs win this game with a nock-out!?"_

Stiles hurried towards Lydia, helping to propel her water attacks towards the Firebender as he was nocked back another territory, the two grinning at eachother as they advanced towards the final space, nocking him easily out of the ring

_"And that's three!! With only one bender left, can the Sea Vultures manage to stay on till round three!?"_

Before Lydia and Stiles even had a chance to turn around, a gust of wind nocked Lydia into the water, Stiles' heart skipping a beat as a blast of air nocked him forward

He managed to grab the ropes, but it was taking everything he had to hang on

He wasn't sure what had allowed Theo to escape from Scott and Derek, but he could see them coming forward

Theo effortlessly dodged their attacks and Stiles forced himself back from the rails and into the arena, only for a gust of wind to nock him back into his own zone- the _second_ zone

Luckily the gong sounded before much more could go on, and the canister lit up blue to signal the Polar Bear Dogs' win as the players collected themselves and took a breather

_"The second round goes to the Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs!"_

"Only one to go.... just one to go," Stiles breathed, grinning up at his teammates

"We've got this," Scott said brightly as Lydia stepped towards them and wrung out her hair

"For my hair's sake, we'd better,"

Everyone set themselves up, getting ready, geared up.... and the second the gong was rung, the attacks came flying

_"If you thought Round Two had been vicious you haven't seen ANYTHING folks!! This is like nothing I've ever witnessed before! These two teams are relentless and neither one looks like they're giving up any time soon! Ohhh and Tracy of the Sea Vultures is in the water for the second time, she really spent all she had in round one! Can the Vultures get on without her?!"_

Stiles hoped not, he really... REALLY hoped not...

Scott was in the middle of taking on Josh wile Derek and Lydia were on Theo, leaving Stiles and Donovan to face off alone once again

At first fending him off wasn't too hard, but he managed to dodge one of Stiles' attacks and launch three earth discs into Scott's side, nocking him back two zones- more than enough for Josh to dodge past Derek and send a blast Scott's way, sending him into the water

_"And this game is over for the Earthbender from the Polar Bear Dogs, can his teammates continue on without him!?"_

Stiles was rejuvenated now, sending a blast of air forward and nocking Donovan back, and thanks to Derek- who provided another blast himself- the Earthbender was now in the ravine

Unfortunately, before they could celebrate, Theo had advanced and sent a head-shot at Lydia, forcing her stumbling as Josh blasted her in the side

Neither Stiles nor Derek could get to her in time before she was over the edge

_"And we're down two to two!! Only the Fire and Airbenders are remaining on both teams!"_

Stiles cursed, and before he had the chance to do anything Derek was jumping in front of him, sending a blast towards the Sea Vultures' Firebender... and getting himself right in Theo's way

"Derek!!" Stiles shouted

Derek launched one blast at Theo and another at Josh, managing to nock Josh into the water ... only to fall in himself once Theo had sent several air strikes his way

_"This is truly amazing folks, the first tournament in pro-bending history to ever allow Airbending and it will be the Airbenders deciding the entire thing!! You just CAN'T make this stuff up!!"_

"C'mon Stiles, do you REALLY want to take me on?" Theo taunted

"Ohh... I've been _waiting_ on it," Stiles snapped back

The two of them paced eachother like a couple of sharks for a moment, before Theo finally sent the first attack, aimed at Stiles' feet

Stiles jumped up, sending an air-strike to Theo's head only for the other bender to blast him into the ropes

They were only inches away from eachother now as Theo aimed another strike to Stiles' head

Luckily Stiles managed to dodge, ducking down and sweeping an air kick under Theo's feet, causing him to stumble as Stiles slipped out and rolled across the feild, blasting an air ball into Theo's back and swallowing hard as he stumbled into the third zone, and then, with all of his might, he aimed one last attack to Theo's gut, sending him into the ravine

The gong sounded, and for a few, short moments, everything went numb

_"And the winner of this year's pro-bending tournament is.... The Jade Dragon's Polar Bear Dogs!!!!!"_

Stiles.... didn't quite know what to do

He didn't know how to process this, he didn't know how to feel

Hell he didn't know how to _breathe_....

And then, there was a warm, wet thing pressing into his back and when he turned around he found Derek wrapping him in a tight hug

A grin spread across his face as Lydia and Scott joined in, the four of them holding onto eachother in celebration for a moment before dispersing to wave to the crowd- well, most of them anyway

All except for Derek and Stiles, who were still holding onto eachother as Stiles leaned in and pressed a long, happy, relieved kiss on the Firebender's lips

Derek smiled shyly under his teammate's lips, kissing back shyly and taking a shaking breath as he bumped their foreheads together

"Promise me one thing," Stiles gasped

"Anything..."

"Promise to never suppress your bending again... ok?"

Derek smiled warmly, breathing in and out slowly and allowing his eyes to close

"Ok,"

"So I was thinking about next year..."

Derek pulled back, eyebrows raised disapprovingly

"We are NOT even going to entertain the thought of talking about that tonight,"

"Fine fine," Stiles snorted, wrapping an arm around Derek's neck as he turned to wave to the crowd

"Whatever you say Derek, whatever you say..."


End file.
